


it won't be a stylish marriage

by mambo



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mention Of Avengers Movie Nights In 2012
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 13:51:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16198820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mambo/pseuds/mambo
Summary: Steve wants to propose.But he's a little shy.





	it won't be a stylish marriage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [entrigal](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=entrigal).



> This was written as part of a July 4th fundraiser for [RAICES](https://www.raicestexas.org) at the request of entrigal. It's a great organization that is helping separated immigrant families in the United States. Thanks entrigal for your generosity!

“Oh wow,” Steve says, looking at the set of silver rings in front of him. He picks one up, feeling the letters underneath his fingertips and smiles. “I didn’t think they would turn out so well,” he says, looking up at the jeweler with a tear growing in his eye. “Thank you,” he adds.

“It took a little doing, and there’s some extra silver in there just to make sure that they maintain their shape over time, but we could use the dog tags,” she says. “I’m happy with how they turned out, myself. I hope your fiancé likes them, too,” she adds with a little smile.

“Not my fiancé yet,” Steve says. “But soon. Hopefully.” He holds the ring tightly in his hand. “Maybe.”

If he can just work up the courage to ask him.

\-- --

The thing is, it seems almost weird to have to propose. Of course, they’re committed to each other. Of course, Bucky’s the only one for Steve. They’ve been together in some capacity since the Great Depression; it’s not like they need rings and a ceremony to make anything official. He and Bucky are official and he has no doubts about that, no worries that someday Bucky will change his mind.

But Steve feels like a ring and a ceremony would be nice. And it would be nice to have that to share with Bucky and their friends and the future. That’s all. He wants to see Bucky in a tux and cry a little as he slips a ring onto Bucky’s finger. He wants to shove cake in Bucky’s face and dance together slowly in a room surrounded by their friends. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a wedding.

And he thinks Bucky might like a wedding, too.

\-- --

The problem is, he can never find the right moment.

Bucky leaves the restaurant, realizing that he has some errands to run. Steve slumps in his seat at the bar, frowning, hand in the pocket of his jacket where the rings are. He thought that he could do it at Bucky’s favorite restaurant, surrounded by their friends, but he lost his nerve. And Bucky, too, apparently.

“Sha la la la la la la la my oh my, look’s like the boy’s too shy—”

“Tony, what are you singing?” Steve asks, too tired and frustrated with himself to play along with whatever Tony is doing.

“Did we really skip  _The Little Mermaid_  when we had all those Avenger movie nights back in 2012? Really? Why did we skip  _The Little Mermaid_ , whose fault was that?” he asks.

“If I recall, it was vetoed in favor of  _Beauty and the Beast_ ,” Natasha says.

“Oh, the beastiality one,” Steve says. “That left an impression.”

“Anyhow, we’ll add  _The Little Mermaid_  to the schedule,” Tony says. “Got that, Friday?”

“Roger that,” Friday says from Tony’s glasses.

“Anyhow, the song is about a guy who is too nervous to kiss a girl,” Sam explains, proving yet again that he is the best among the Avengers. “Much like you’re too nervous to propose to Bucky even though you’ve had ample opportunities. Lots of opportunities. Like, every day a new opportunity.”

Or, maybe not the best.

“Oh,” Steve says, with a frown. “I’m not sure I want to see this movie.”

“Yes you do, you’ll love it,” Natasha says. “But the point is that you really need to get your head out of your ass and just do it. It’s not like he’ll say no.”

“Thanks,” Steve says, frowning harder.

Natasha smirks. “You’re welcome.”

\-- --

He’s thinking of her smirk later that night when he’s laying in bed with Bucky, trying to fall asleep. It’s cool and dark in their shared room in their Brooklyn apartment, a place they chose and decorated just for themselves. He usually falls asleep easily here, but he’s had trouble lately. Tonight’s no different.

“You’re thinkin’ too hard,” Bucky mutters. “Stop it,” he adds as he reaches up and pokes Steve’s forehead with the index finger of his left arm. He’s shirtless and beautiful. Steve feels so lucky that he gets to go to bed with him every night. Just looking at him laying there makes him smile.

Chuckling, Steve reaches up and catches Bucky’s hand, entangling their fingers. He guides Bucky’s hand over to his mouth, so he can give him a kiss across his knuckles. “Sorry if my thinking’s keeping you awake. I’ll turn the volume down on my brain.”

“’S okay,” Bucky mutters, wiggling in closer. Steve pulls his hand away so he can wrap his arm around Bucky as Bucky tucks himself under Steve’s chin. Steve presses a kiss to his hair. “Wasn’t sleepin’ anyway.”

“What were you thinking about?” Steve asks, idly playing with a strand of Bucky’s hair.

“Lots of crap,” Bucky says, then, “And I was thinking about our dog tags.”

“Our dog tags?” Steve asks, heart starting to beat a little faster. He knows Bucky can hear it, too, which is pretty embarrassing.

“Yeah, I just… Haven’t seen ‘em since I came back. Wonderin’ where they ended up. The Smithsonian, maybe? Natasha and Sam were talkin’ about dog tags yesterday, and I realized that I hadn’t seen ‘em.”

Steve shakes his head. “No, I have ‘em,” Steve says, cursing Sam and Natasha. They knew exactly what they were doing.

“Both?”

“Yeah, you uh, gave me yours before…” He doesn’t finish the sentence.

“I remember,” Bucky says, voice steady, though he burrows closer to Steve’s chest.

“You want to see them?” Steve asks.

Bucky shakes his head. “Not if it’s an inconvenience, nah,” he says. “Just wanted to know. Glad they’re not in some display case somewhere.”

“I can… It’s not an inconvenience,” Steve says, trying to keep his voice steady.

Bucky looks up. “Sure,” he says. “If you got ‘em handy.”

While it pains him to pull away from Bucky, Steve does so, reaching over and opening the drawer of his nightstand. He pulls out the small velvet bag he’s been storing the rings in from the drawer, then shuts it again. His heart beats fast as he hands the bag to Bucky.

Bucky sits up, frowning. He feels the rings through the bag with his fingers. “Hate to break it to you, but I think you have the wrong bag,” he says. “These aren’t dog tags.”

“Well, they were. I may’ve…” Steve’s voice cracks, and he clears his throat.

“Steve?” Bucky asks, looking up from the bag. He reaches over and touches Steve’s cheek. “Bud, what’s wrong?”

“I changed them, a little. I’m just having second thoughts about it now. I should’ve asked you.”

“Changed them?” Bucky asks. Steve nods. “Should I… open the bag?” he asks.

“If you want to,” Steve says, voice barely above a whisper.

He watches as Bucky does just that, the only light in the room filtering in through the small crack in the curtains of their Brooklyn apartment. He hears the rings clank against Bucky’s vibranium hand. He looks up. “They’re rings,” he says.

Steve nods. “Yeah,” he says. “One’s for you, the one with my name on it. And there’s one for me that’s made from your dog tags.” He pauses, exhales. “I was thinking they could be engagement rings.”

Bucky looks up. “Steve,” he says in a quiet voice.

He was waiting for some spectacular moment to propose to Bucky, but isn’t this as good a time as any? Together, just the two of them, quiet and warm in the little world they’ve created with one other. Maybe this is a better time to propose than any, even. Nothing is more like them and for them.

“I know that it seems small and that we’re already so much to each other and that we probably don’t need rings or a ceremony but…” He trails off, words failing him.

“Steve, is this the worst proposal of all time?” Bucky asks, face splitting into a grin. “Are you in the middle of givin’ me the most maudlin, weird proposal ever?”

“If you want it to be,” Steve says, helplessly smiling back at Bucky.

“Of course I do,” Bucky says, grinning as he slips one of the rings onto his finger. He then reaches for Steve’s hand and slips the other rings onto his. Steve can barely feel his face from how hard he’s smiling. “But you do gotta promise me that your vows will be better than your proposal because that was some shit, Steve.”

Steve laughs. “But you said yes, anyway,” he says, reaching over and taking Bucky’s hand in his. He strokes the ring and the metal beneath it.

“Of course I did,” Bucky says. “I love you. And these,” he says, looking down at the rings. “I love them, too. A better way to carry you with me. Besides in my heart, of course,” he adds with a sly smile that Steve just has to kiss. As he pulls away, Bucky says, “But jeez, I’ve gotta call T’Challa. I asked him to help me with some vibranium rings and now I gotta tell him to cancel.”

Steve snorts out a laugh, then laughs again for real, big belly laughs that make him flop over on top of Bucky, his friend, his love, his fiancé, and his future husband.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Check out [RAICES](https://www.raicestexas.org) while you're here! You can also reblog this fic on [Tumblr](http://whtaft.tumblr.com/post/175965216154/stucky-proposal-for-entigral-to-benefit-raices).


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